


The Cruise

by AmalynnJon



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-04-29
Packaged: 2019-04-29 23:24:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14483502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmalynnJon/pseuds/AmalynnJon
Summary: Carol needed a date.  Daryl needed the money.  Could love surprise them both?





	1. Acceptance

**Author's Note:**

> I love tropes. Expect nothing but fluff and predictable formulas in this. 
> 
> Thanks to Jen for being my faithful beta. 
> 
> Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

“You have  _got_  to be kidding me!  No!....No way.”  Carol shook her head vigorously.  “I’m not that desperate,” she stated firmly, pacing across her living room wringing her hands together.  Lori sat on the sofa, her gaze following Carol back and forth, and then back and forth.

“You’re the one who said you didn’t want to show up alone.  This is a simple solution.”  Lori’s voice was calm and she spoke as if what she had just suggested had been reasonable.  It hadn’t been.  It had been ludicrous. 

Carol stopped pacing and turned to Lori fixing her with the best glare she could muster, “I’m not that type of woman.”

Lori stared at her for a moment and then burst out laughing.  

“I’m not saying you should become a hooker, Carol!  This would just be a simple monetary exchange for a service rendered.”

“That’s literally what a hooker does,” Carol exclaimed, her hands gesturing wildly.

“Well technically you’d be the john in this scenario.”

Carol’s eyes went wide, “Oh my god,” she groaned and fell onto the sofa, burying her head in her hands.

How had her life come to this?  She had been divorced from Ed for about two years now and it had been the best two years of her life.  She was working at the local veterinarian's office and Sophia was finally coming out of her shell.  They were both thriving since Ed had been out of the picture.  Not once in the entire two years had she needed a man...not until that stupid wedding invitation came in the mail last week.

A friend from high school was getting married to some guy who was crazy rich.  They were planning a week long celebration on a cruise ship of all places and had invited the whole damn high school it seemed.  She had initially said no, she had no desire to see three quarters of the people that would be in attendance, but Lori had somehow talked her into it telling her she needed to get out, live her life, not let those assholes cause her to miss out on a free cruise.  It had been a long drunken rant on Girl’s Night.  She silently cursed Girl’s Night, it had also been then that she had let it slip to Lori that she didn’t want to show up on the cruise alone, giving Georgia Brown the satisfaction of seeing her as the failure she had always told her she was.  That girl had always said that Ed was too good for her, jealous that the quarterback had chosen her all those years ago.  If only she had known then what she knew now, bitch could have had him.  She closed her eyes,  _No_ , she would never have wished him on anyone else, not even her worst enemy.

Lori reached over and grasped Carol’s arm until she had her full attention.  “Look,” she said, “This isn’t about sleeping with him.”  She shrugged her shoulders and tilted her head, “Unless you want to - he  _is_  easy on the eyes and you deserve to have a hot fling.”

“Lori -,” Carol warned in exasperation.  

Lori put up her hands, “Ok - Ok.  Honestly though, this is really not that complicated or as scandalous as you’re making it.  You need a date to the wedding and Daryl needs the money.  It’s a great use for some of that cash you found that Ed had stashed away.  A perfect  _screw you_.”

Carol shook her head again.  She could feel herself giving in but it all still felt out of her comfort zone.  This was the type of thing she never did.  She used to though- back in high school - she took risks and she was spontaneous.  

Ed had beaten that out of her.

“Maybe I just shouldn’t go - I’ve never left Sophia for that long.”  She attempted to sway Lori with her one ace in the hole.

She knew by the look in Lori’s eyes that her friend was having none of that.  “Sophia will be fine with Carl and my mom.  You  _need_  this Carol.  And it’s a free cruise,” she exclaimed.  “Opportunities like this don’t just grow on trees.”

She took both of Carol’s hands into hers, gently squeezing, making sure they were making eye contact before she spoke.  “Rick and I will both be there, Carol.  Rick’s known Daryl since they were kids - he’s not just some random Joe I picked off the streets.  He’s a  _nice_ guy - and the cash would be helping him out.”  She grinned wickedly, “Plus - it will make Georgia lose her shit.  That alone would be worth it!  Come on Carol!  Take a chance - have a little fun - and I swear - if Daryl’s a nightmare - I’ll ditch Rick and you and I will be each other’s dates.”  

Lori had hit all the right points.  The woman knew her well and she silently cursed her friend.  “I hate you so much right now,” Carol mumbled

Lori smiled and playfully shook her hands, “Freeeeee cruise!”

 _Dammit_.  “Fine,” she growled, rolling her eyes.  Lori let out a squeal and leaned in to hug her.  “But if this turns into a big mess - you owe me.”

Lori hummed in agreement and pulled her in tighter, “It’s going to be great, I know it!”

Carol wasn’t so sure.

* * *

 

 "Are you fucking serious?”  Daryl sat on the floor of his garage gaping at Rick like he had grown three heads.  No.  This was definitely one of Rick’s lame jokes - it had to be.  He snorted and shook his head, “Nah man - nice try - y’almost had me goin’.”  He turned back to his bike and finished cleaning the chain and sprocket.

“I was being serious,” Rick’s tone was grave and Daryl knew he wasn’t fucking around.

He pushed himself off the ground, suddenly angry.  Was Rick trying to make him look like a fool?

“What the hell you playin’ at?”  He growled.

“Hey man,” Rick tried to soothe - to reason - “It’s one grand.  That’s more money than you’d make in two weeks.  I’m just trying to help you out.”

“And all I gotta do is sell my body.  I ain’t no damn gigolo!” he yelled.

He began to pace the length of his garage, his whole body was buzzing and he had no idea how to comprehend all the emotions that he was experiencing.  Embarrassment. Anger.  Disbelief.  _Hope_.  That fucking last one was the one that was playing with his head.  

“It’s not like that man -  _Carol’s_  not like that,” Rick insisted.  “She’s had a rough go of it - her ex-husband was a complete asshole and you know how it is to show up at these things alone.”

Daryl stopped in front of Rick, “That’s why I don’t go t’these things and I ain’t ‘bout t’start so some woman who had a shitty husband can feel better ‘bout herself ‘cause she’s got a man on her arm.”  He shook his head, “I ain’t no damn prize anyway.”

Rick sighed and rubbed his hand over his face, “Look - Lori’s not going to let this go.  She will come down here and drag you to that boat.  Just say yes - Carol’s a good,  _attractive_  woman.  All you gotta do is hang out on a boat, drink a few beers and attend a wedding.”  Rick kicked Daryl’s leg and he looked back up at his friend, “That grand will go along way to pay off Merle’s debt.”

There it was, the unspoken reason why Rick had even brought this offer to him.  Rick wasn’t an idiot, he knew he’d never have pretended to be a complete stranger's date to a wedding unless the circumstances had been dire.  And right then his circumstances were very grim.  His brother Merle had made a huge mess of things.  Fucking asshole had gotten caught crossing the border into Mexico with a truck full of illegal guns and drugs.  He had been trying to earn some ‘ _easy money_ ’ but had trusted the wrong people.  Now he was serving ten years in prison.  He charmed the hell out of some people to get that light of a sentence.  Unfortunately good ole Merle had also racked up quite a debt with the fuckers who betrayed him and they had come looking to Daryl to collect.  They had dirt on Merle that would get him a life’s sentence and as much as his brother deserved it, he just couldn’t bring himself to do that to his kin.  Merle may have been a jackass, but he was still his brother - the only family he had.  Daryl felt like a bastard as it was.  Rick was a fucking police officer and had tried to talk him into dealing with it in a legal way, but he didn’t trust the system.  It had never done anything for him - for his family.  Rick had earned his trust when they were children - that wasn’t enough for him to go to the cops though.  If he could take back Rick knowing, he would.  That had been a late night drunken confession when he had first came back to town to deal with all this shit.  Now it seemed that Rick had found a sort of loophole to help.

Daryl growled and kicked the empty gas can that sat next to his bike, the tin container bouncing across the small garage.  “Jesus Christ,” he muttered.

Rick grinned and slapped Daryl on the back.  Asshole knew he had him.  “It’ll be a piece of cake,” Rick said, “easy money.”

Daryl cringed at Rick's wording, Merle's voice still lingering in his head.  He sure fucking hoped this was worth it.  


	2. Sunday

Carol’s stomach churned and a lump sat in her throat.  She wouldn’t be surprised if she threw up right then and there, not that anything would actually come up. She hadn’t eaten anything for the past two days.  What the hell had she been thinking? This whole thing had been a terrible idea. Maybe it wasn’t too late to back out - get the hell out of there before this Daryl showed up.  

“There’s Daryl,” Rick said, pointing to an old beat-up pickup truck pulling into the lot.  Her heart dropped.  _Shit_.  It was definitely too late to back out now.  This was happening. She started to breathe heavier and more quickly than before.  She attempted to control it by taking deep breaths and tried to focus on any physical sensation that could help ground her to avoid a full blown panic attack.  She grabbed ahold of the shawl she was wearing, rubbing the silk between her fingers.

She watched as a man, dressed in jeans and a leather jacket, jumped out of the truck and walked to the back, pulling out a small duffle bag and throwing it over his shoulder.  Her pulse raced faster and faster the closer he came. Lori had been right, he was easy on the eyes. He wasn’t a classic beauty - more rugged than pretty, with his shaggy brown hair and a little scruff on his face- but it was enough to have her heart racing for an entirely different reason now.  The only thing she couldn’t see were his eyes, they were hidden behind a dark pair of sunglasses.

“Hey man,” Rick greeted Daryl with a slap on the back, “You made good time.”

“Things-” Daryl stopped talking and cleared his throat, “Things were runnin’ pretty smooth on 1-75.”  His nerves were evident by the slight tremor in his voice. It made her feel a little better in a weird sort of way.  He wasn’t going to be some suave man who took this whole thing in stride, he may be just as uncomfortable as she was and that was a relief.  It was perhaps selfish of her to think like that but she couldn’t help it.

“Hi Daryl - good to see you,” Lori chimed in.

He nodded in her direction and then looked over at Carol, or so she thought - with his sunglasses on it was impossible to tell.

Lori nudged Rick, tilting her head towards Carol.

“Oh,” he exclaimed, “Daryl this is Carol, you’re um - uh - date,” he awkwardly added, earning another nudge from his wife.  Carol’s cheeks grew warm and she wanted to disappear, this was already so embarrassing and the cruise hadn’t even started yet.  

Daryl immediately took off his shades and extended his arm out, Carol didn’t miss the slight shake in his hand as she reached out to take it.  His hand was surprisingly soft, just a few rough calluses, likely earned from work. Lori had mentioned he fixed motorcycles.

“Nice t’meet’cha,” he quietly muttered and Carol looked up to his face, meeting his gaze for the first time.  Her legs slightly wobbled and she had to bite her lip to prevent her gasp when she was met by the most intense, stormy blue gaze.  It was mesmerizing, and she stood frozen- transfixed by his stare.

His eyes dropped to their still joined hands and she slammed back to reality, retracting from the handshake like she had been burned.  He looked startled but covered it well. What a great first impression she must be giving.

“Nice to meet you too,” she quickly breathed out, her neck hot.

“Should we head to the boat?”  Rick asked, taking both his and Lori’s bag and they both started walking away.  Daryl and Carol stood awkwardly for a minute and then they both grabbed for her bag their hands smacking into one another.

Daryl backed away, putting as much distance between them as he could it seemed, his cheeks a light pink.  “Sorry,’ he said so low she could barely hear him. “Didn’t know if I should take your bag - if that’s what I was suppose t’do - don’t mind - I can take your bag -” he rambled nervously.

She stood unmoving, her hand still wrapped tightly around the handle of her luggage. She wasn’t used to anyone ever offering to help so it had thrown her for a loop.

“I don’t gotta - only if y’want.”  He quickly added, her silence likely making it seem like he had stepped over some line.

She shook her head, practically shoving her bag at him, horrified that she had made him doubt himself - that she had created this awkward dance of who will handle the bag.  “Sure - yes - thank you.” She fumbled over her words. Good God - she used to be able to communicate quite well. She had spent years walking on eggshells around other men - having a conversation with one was still something she was getting used to.  It wasn’t helping that Daryl was a complete stranger - a very  _attractive_ stranger - that she had to pretend to be head over heels in love with.  He was likely regretting having ever said yes to this farce.

Boarding the ship and the preceding walk to their rooms was pure torture.  All Carol could think about was when they got to the room, she and Daryl would be alone - alone sharing a room.  No Rick and Lori to act as a buffer, just completely isolated...together. They would have to talk and she would have to manage to string more than one sentence together.   _They’d be sharing a room_.  She stopped dead in her tracks, at some point her breathing had again started coming out in quick, shallow pants.  

“Carol, are you ok?”  Lori asked rubbing her arm.

“Yup,” Carol managed to squeak.  “Can I talk to you a minute?” She glanced over at the men who watched them curiously.  “Alone?” she emphasized.

“Yeah sure,”  Lori was quick to grab her hand, leading her down the hallway.

Once they were alone, Carol couldn’t control herself and she just unleashed.  “I can’t do this - I’ve barely said two words to the man and I sounded like a damn fool -  and now I have to be  _alone_ with him?  Share a room with him - pretend we’re in a relationship -  _Jesus_ \- why does he have to look  _so_  good?”

“I knew you’d find him attractive,” Lori exclaimed, sounding pleased with herself.

Carol glared at her, “Are you shitting me right now?  I’m having a full blown panic attack and  _that_  is what you focus on?  What the hell am I going to do?”

“Ok,” Lori grasped her shoulders, “First, you’re going to take a breath.  Second, you’re going to forget every worthless lie Ed ever told you. You are a smart, sexy, amazing woman and anyone would be lucky to spend a week on a cruise with you.  All you need to do this week is relax, sit back and have fun. Be you. Daryl is the luckiest bastard on this ship and if he doesn't see that within the next couple of days - SCREW HIM!”

Carol stared at her friend and then snorted.  She shook her head, smiling, “Thank you - was freaking out.”

“Just a little bit.” Lori said, nudging her, “Hey, it's all true though - every bit of it.  It's going to be fine. You good?”

“I’m good.”

Lori squeezed her shoulder, offering her an encouraging smile.  “We’ll be meeting for dinner in a hour.”

When they returned to Rick and Daryl, they were standing fairly close, and when Daryl noticed them approaching he stepped quickly away from Rick, his eyes downcast.  

She took a steadying breath and walked over to them, taking her bag and began to roll it toward their room doing her best to ignore any lingering doubt.  

* * *

The rooms were a decent size.  Off to the side there was a small sitting area with a couch and chair, and a television mounted to the wall.  On the other side a pair of patio doors led out to a small balcony where there sat a small table and two lounge chairs.  

Carol hesitated by the bed that sat in the center of the room.  It was queen-sized and there was only one.  _Shit_.

She heard the door softly click behind her and her eyes closed - this was it - she could do this - she could talk like a normal human being.

“I can sleep on the sofa.”

She jumped slightly at Daryl’s voice.

“Uh-" she blinked several times, trying to wrap her mind around what he had said.  “That doesn't seem fair,” she said glancing at the lavish looking bed, “Uh- we could - we could take turns.”

“Nah,” he said, shaking his head, “I’m good - slept on worse.”  He pushed on the cushions with his hands. “It’s not so bad. Pretty cushy.”

He was being a gentleman and damn if that didn't make him even more attractive.  It really wasn't taking much to turn her on. She seriously needed to get out more, it had obviously been too long.  One man showed her a little kindness and she was getting all hot and bothered over it.

She gave herself a mental shake, clearing her throat.  “Ok - if you’re really sure you don’t mind.”

“I don’t.”

They stood awkwardly as silence descended upon them, both of them desperately trying to not look at the other.  

The tension rose and became more uncomfortable.  The quiet felt like it was choking her.

“It’s a nice room,” she practically spat out, desperate to shake the tense atmosphere that had settled.

Daryl looked relieved, “Yeah,” he agreed.

Her mind frantically searched for something to prolong the conversation.  “Thank you - for doing this. I know how weird - how desperate - it must seem.”  She closed her eyes, inwardly face palming herself, she hadn’t meant to go there.

Daryl looked pale and it looked like it was taking some effort for him to speak, “It’s alright,” he noticeably swallowed, “needed the money.”

“Right-” she trailed off, cursing herself, “Do you want it now or-”

“At the end’s good,” he quickly said.  “Want to make sure you’re satisfied.”

Both of their eyes grew wide over the use of his words.  Carol was fairly sure her cheeks were as red as Daryl’s.

“Didn’t mean it like that,” his words ran together and he looked completely horrified.  

“I know!” she was quick to reassure him, wanting to put them both out of the misery that this conversation had turned into.  

Silence fell....again much to her dismay.  Carol shifted on her feet, twirling the string of her sundress around her finger.  The room was quickly feeling like it was enclosing around her and she just needed to get out of that space.  

“Um - I’m just going to freshen up before dinner,” she said as cheerfully as she could muster, pointing to the washroom.  

She didn’t wait for a response and ducked into the other room as fast as she could.

This was a disaster.  

* * *

 

Rick and Lori were already sitting at the table when they arrived at the dining room.  Daryl silently sighed in relief. Thank the fuck for small miracles. Being alone with Carol had been almost unbearable.  He was such an awkward asshole - nervous and twitchy - blurting out how he wanted to make sure she was satisfied - like this was purely a sexual thing.  She must’ve thought he was such a creep. It was clear as day that she didn’t want anything to do with him, couldn’t get out of the room fast enough earlier.  She had probably been expecting a smart businessman, dressed in a crisp cleaned suit - a smooth talker - charming, not some dumbass hick who could barely string a sentence together.  What a fucking moron he was. He knew from the start this was an idiotic idea, had even taken a last ditch effort at getting off the boat earlier on their way to the rooms when Carol had gotten a panic attack over him being her date for the week and she needed to talk to Lori.  Rick had talked him out of that.

Carol was different than he expected.  He didn’t know exactly what he  _had_  expected, but it was definitely not her.  He hadn’t felt any real interest in a woman in years.  Most he had met were fake as fuck and he found them to be needy or too pushy, wanting more from him then he was willing to give.

Carol was different, he could tell right away.  The way she carried herself was familiar. He knew there were demons that haunted her, and even though they had exchanged only a handful of words, he knew her demons were not much different than his own.  In the parking lot there had been this moment where it was like he could see into her soul. Her crystal blue eyes had been unlike anything he had ever seen before. Time had seemed to stand still and he had felt a twinge of something he hadn’t felt in years - true interest in another person.

It hadn’t helped that she was also quite attractive - her blue eyes the standout,  but her silver hair, sticking out all over, glistening in the sunlight, had also been very appealing.  Her blue sundress hugged all the right places and he had been doing his damndest to not stare at her all afternoon like a creep.

He inwardly groaned when he saw that there were two other couples that were already sitting with Rick and Lori.  Making small talk was a nightmare.

When they finally made their way to the table, he wasn’t sure what he should do. He should probably pull out Carol’s chair for her or something.  That's what a gentleman would do. He quickened his pace to reach the chair before her, his hand slipping off the back of it as he went to pull it out.  He was so damn sweaty. He managed to slide the chair out and she gave him a small smile for the gesture. He ignored the little jump his heart made.

They were introduced to the others at the table.  A bawdy red-headed man, Abraham, and his girlfriend Rosita, who looked several years younger.   Daryl could tell after a couple minutes that this couple would be hard to spend meals with. The army man was loud and obnoxious, constantly making sexual innuendos.   The two of them could hardly keep their hands off of one another. Public displays of affection made his skin crawl - some things should be fucking private. The other couple, Maggie and Glenn, seemed alright, although the damn kid talked way too much.

The table was full of mindless chatter, but neither he or Carol offered much to the conversations unless directly asked a question.  

He stabbed a piece of his prime rib with his fork, having tuned out the conversation that was happening, something about pizza deliveries and zombies.

“Daryl?”  

He blinked, his fork froze halfway to his mouth, looking up to see everyone staring at him.  Carol’s eyes were glazed with anxious uncertainty, which made his stomach flutter, nervous.

He put his fork down.

“How long have y’all been together?” Maggie repeated, her gaze flickering between he and Carol.

His heart rate picked up, inwardly panicking and hoping like hell the panic didn't show on the outside.  He and Carol hadn't talked about backstory. He should have been asking her these questions when they had been alone in the room.  Instead he had stood there awkwardly in total silence, like a coward.

He coughed, the silence buzzing in his ears making him feel dizzy, mocking him.  Fuck, he needed to say something. “Uh- ,” he stuttered, “we - we met at the vet’s office.  Was takin’ my dog in for a check up - and there she was,” he finished lamely.

His damn heart felt like it was going to ricochet right out of his chest over the lie he just told.  He never was very good at it. Merle was the smooth talker in the family, Daryl was sure the other two couples would see through his bullshit.  

He chanced a look at Carol, worried that he had royally fucked this up.  Rick had said that she worked at a vet’s office, hadn't he? He was beginning to second guess himself.

Carol’s eyes were wide and he caught a hint of surprise in their depths, but she didn't look angry or put off.  Her look had a more pleasant quality about it.

She gave her head a little shake, breaking eye contact with him, giving her attention to Maggie.

“Yes,” she said clearing her throat.  “I work at the front desk. Daryl’s dog was - adorable - owner wasn’t too shabby either,” she said, saucily.  

Daryl nearly dropped his fork.  Her remark earned some chuckles around the table, but Daryl was frozen, his stomach flipping in a way he hadn't felt in years.  The conversation moved on with Maggie mentioning her father used to be a vet, but he was transfixed on Carol, watching her behind his fringe of hair.  Her cheeks were flushed and she was pushing food around on her plate, staring intently on the task. It was quite clear she was avoiding eye contact with everyone, especially him.  

His mind was wandering to strange places, like how perfect the freckles that lined her cheeks were.  Did she really think he was attractive?

_No_.  She had to say that to make their relationship seen more viable.  He was definitely not someone you took home to Mama. There was still something about her reaction though that had made his entire body feel like a bunch of fucking butterflies had taken flight.

He startled when he realized Carol’s bright blue gaze had caught his.  Her eyes round - caught off guard. He quickly averted his gaze looking down at the table like a coward, a string of curse words mocking him in his head.   _What a fool you are.  She’d never be actually interested in someone like you._

Fuck, he was terrible at this.  

* * *

 

Dinner was winding down - dessert and coffee had been presented but he had been too miserable to eat any of the offerings.

He watched as Abraham scarfed back five different helpings.  It took all he had in him to not curl his lip in disgust.

Carol had chosen some sort of pudding but had barely touched it and that made him feel even more sullen because she looked just as miserable as he felt.

“Lori Richards!  And Carol Williams!”  

Daryl jumped at the shrill voice that echoed behind him.  He turned his head just in time to see a blur of blonde pulling Carol and Lori from their seats into a hug.  He caught sight of a pink sash that had BRIDE splayed across it.

_Carol’s friend_  - the whole reason he was even on this cruise.  The man who stood next to her must have been the groom.  He looked like a rich prick.

The man stood straight - unsmiling, an intimidating force.  He eyed the reunion with little interest, but the moment the woman introduced Carol and Lori to him, Philip or something, a flip was switched and the man was oozing charm - greeting Carol and Lori with a suave voice and a disarming smile.  Damn - he was a smooth fucker.

He froze when the blonde’s gaze landed on him.  Her eyes went wide and she slid past Carol.

“And who do we have here?” she crooned.  

Carol was by his side in an instant, looking slightly panicked.  “This is Daryl,” her words rushed out, “ah - Dixon,” she tacked on.  “My date.”

“Well holy shit!”

The woman turned to Carol, “Major upgrade from Ed,” she whispered, but it was in that way where everyone could still deliberately hear what had been said.  He could feel the heat rushing to his cheeks. She gave Carol a saucy wink and before he could even blink his damn eyes the blonde was bidding farewell, promising Carol and Lori that they would catch up later and then she was whisking her fiance away.  She hadn’t even stuck around long enough for him to learn her name.

“Sorry ‘bout that,” Carol quietly spoke into his ear, sending a shiver down his spine.  He didn’t realize how close she had gotten to him and it had caught him off guard - his body tensing.  

She must have noticed his rigid posture because she took a step back, a rosy blush covering her own cheeks and he felt like shit over his body’s reaction.  

“That was Andrea,” she spoke again, “the bride - she can be a bit... _enthusiastic._ ”

He shrugged his shoulders, “She’s got a good ‘scuse here. It’s her party.  Ain’t ever known anyone who rented out an entire cruise ship b’fore though.”

Carol laughed lightly, the sound bright and joyful and he decided right away that he liked the sound of it.  

“Me either,” Carol chuckled, “She always did do things big.”

Grinning was not something he did very often, or ever, but Carol’s grin was contagious and his lips twisted upward.  The movement, although foreign, surprised him at how easy it came with her.  _Damn, she was cute_.  

Lori’s voice pulled them out of their shared moment and he felt slightly irritated at the interruption.  “Hey guys, Rick and I are going to take up Andrea’s offer of the complimentary tokens for the casino. We’re going to go find Amy.  Want to join us?”

Daryl’s stomach twisted.  He wasn’t fond of casinos - of gambling.  Nothing good had ever come from it especially when Merle had been involved.  Merle had once gambled away their truck, had almost lost their fucking house, but what had really pissed him off was the time Merle had gambled away a rose brooch that had been their mother’s.  It had been all they had left of her and his asshole brother had bet the precious piece to earn a quick buck. Merle had earned a black eye and bloody, broken nose for that.

Carol caught his eye, uncertainty written across her face, her teeth snagging her bottom lip.

“I - I thought maybe we’d - we’d explore the ship a bit first,” she turned to address him directly, “but we can go to the casino if you’d rather - that’d be good too.”

He started shaking his head back and forth, almost wildly, like he was a damn dog or something.  He had to focus all of his attention on it to get himself to stop.

“Nah- walk sounds good.”

Carol’s face brightened, “Ok - great!”

Lori leaned in and gave Carol a hug, the two of them whispering quietly to one another.  The conversation had the tips of Carol’s ears turning a bright shade of red that in turn had him heating up.

“Ready?”  She still seemed unsure, her voice timid, like she wasn’t sure if this was really what he wanted to do.

He swallowed, gnawing at his bottom lip.  The thought of being alone with Carol again was terrifying.  He hadn’t really done a stellar job of making conversation or imprinting any good impressions of himself on her.  Being alone meant there would be no one else around to keep actual talking going. That would be up to him and her.  Even though that very idea scared the hell out of him, it was also the concept that intrigued him - it was something that he almost seemed to crave.

He nodded his head, “Yeah - let’s head out - see what this boat’s got.”

She offered him a shy smile and he cursed his pulse as it sped up.  

The conversation was non-existent as they walked around the middle deck, Carol stopping occasionally to peek in the small shop windows.  

“So you have a dog?”

The question caught him of guard.

“Uh - yeah - was a stray - a border collie-pointer mix - Mutt.  Found him in the woods one day an’ the damn thing followed me home.”

“You call him Mutt!?  Poor baby,” she laughed.

He put his hands up, “Tried givin’ him a real name - when I knew he was stickin’ ‘round, but he wouldn’t answer t’anything but Mutt,” he defended himself lightly.  “He was a scraggly looking thing - now he eats more than I do.”

She laughed again, the sound again like some of the best damn music he had ever heard in his entire life.    

“He was lucky to find you,” she said.

He knew he was blushing and he inwardly blasted himself for being such a fucking pansy, embarrassed by her sincere compliment.  He wasn’t used to receiving that type of praise and he felt the need to deflect.

“Well - I mean - I put ‘im to work.  He’s a good huntin’ dog - real quiet - has a good instinct too.”

“You hunt?” Her interest seemed piqued and he felt a bit anxious that she may be one of those who didn’t like any type of hunting.  It surprised him that he was worried about her possibly being disappointed in him.

“A bit - deer mostly - my back bush is overpopulated - just do it t’thin them out.  Use my crossbow.”

“A crossbow!?”  Her eyes were wide and he was relieved when she sounded interested and not disgusted.  “Sophia - my daughter - loves archery in school,” she explained, “She’s always talking about trying a crossbow.  I, of course, know nothing about them and have been hesitant.”

“Ain’t dangerous,” he assured her, “if you know the proper way t’use it.  Could give ‘er a few lessons - start real slow.”

He realized what he said after it was too late, implying that Carol would even want anything to do with him after this cruise was over.  That she would want her little girl anywhere near him. They were strangers and they’d likely never see each other after this. He felt funny about that, about never seeing Carol again and he wasn’t quite sure way.  He was attracted to her - yes, but he didn’t  _know_  her.

She just smiled softly, “I may take you up on that.”

His heart jumped at the sincerity of her statement, his entire body felt weird, like it was tingling.  What the fuck was wrong with him?

“Oh my God!!  Curly Sue!? Is that you?”

Daryl could see the tension enter Carol’s frame at the sound of the voice.  She was completely rigid and her face was a sheet of white. Carol slowly turned around to face the tall woman that had sauntered up to them.  The woman wore a flashy smile that looked fake as fuck. It made him feel uneasy. He could tell immediately by her stance and the look in her eyes the woman was not fond of Carol and based on Carol’s reaction - the feeling was mutual.  

Within thirty seconds Daryl already knew he didn’t like this woman.  He stepped forward, angling his body subtly between Carol and this chick.  

“Look at your hair,” the woman exclaimed, “it’s all gray.  I can’t believe you just let it go like that - you’re so brave.” Her voice dripped with sugary sweet sarcasm and Daryl felt his blood pressure rise.  

He opened his mouth, the words _fuck you_  ready to fire out of his mouth.

“It happens,” Carol replied before he could say anything, her tone expressing no emotion.  “I see yours is still blonde.”

The snort that escaped him came quick and loud, his hand instinctively covering his mouth to hide his grin.  The woman’s hair was as black as the ace of spades, obviously dyed to cover her own graying hair.

Her fake ass smile was now a tight-thin lined grimace, her narrowed scowl turning to him and Daryl knew her feigned camaraderie was done.   

Her eyes scanned him critically, “I see you’ve downgraded since Ed walked out on you,” she clipped in distaste.  

Carol’s face went a deep shade of red, not out of shame or embarrassment but a deep seated anger, her gaze intense and her jaw tense.

“Well it’s been a pleasure Georgia,” Carol seethed, her voice deep and short, “I’m sure Ed would’ve sent his regards...from prison,” she growled.

Both Daryl and the women’s eyes went wide.   _The asshole was in prison?_

Georgia’s mouth opened and then shut, clearly having been rendered speechless and Daryl had to bite his bottom lip to prevent himself from grinning.  

Carol turned to him, “Let’s go.”

He could merely nod and follow her as she walked away, her head held high.  He was unable to stop his mind from wandering to inappropriate places. That had been sexy as hell.  

They made it to the railing on the opposite side of the ship before Carol deflated, leaning against the steel bar and looking out over the ocean.  

“I’m sorry you had to witness that,” she sighed.  “I can’t believe I fell so easily back into old habits.  God - it was like I was in high school again. The worst part of high school.”  She looked at him, shaking her head, “That’s not me,” she said earnestly, her eyes glazed with a blossoming panic.  

“I know!” he reassured her quickly, “That woman was - “

“A bitch.”

He snorted.

“Jesus -  _yes_  -,” he agreed emphatically, nodding.  “What the hell was her problem?”

“Long story short - the boy she liked chose me in high school.”

“Must have been one hell of a boy.”

She stiffened.  “He wasn’t,” she said coldly.  

Everything about Carol in that moment was so familiar to Daryl.  It was a clear commonality among them that he had sensed in their first meeting.  His stomach churned over the likely reason. Rick had said her ex had been an asshole and with the news that he was in jail, the connection was becoming more clear.

“It’s beautiful out here,” she quietly commented.  

He followed her gaze out over the night sky, a million stars stretched across the darkness.  It seemed like it went on forever, their glow casting a perfect shimmer over the water.

“I ain’t ever seen anything like it b’fore,” he drawled, “My first time seein’ the ocean.”

She turned to him, “Really?”

He nodded his head affirming, “Just always stuck ‘round Georgia by the mountains -never ventured far - kinda regrettin’ that.”

“At least you’re here now.”

“Yeah.”

Her hand reached out and clasped over his. “Thank you for doing this Daryl.”

He swallowed, looking down at their hands, his heart skyrocketing at the simple gesture.  He resisted the urge to pull away. Touch was not something he was comfortable with but her touch was affecting him in ways he had never thought was possible.     

He could only nod his head, the heat of Carol’s caress lingering even after she pulled her hand back.  

Standing there on that ship with her next to him he couldn't help but think that the beauty of the night sky was nothing in comparison to Carol Peletier.  

* * *

 

An awkwardness settled again once they reached the room.  It wasn’t as severe as before but it was present, a tinge of apprehension still lingering.  

Daryl did his best to ignore the attraction he felt.   _Damn_  if she didn’t look adorable in her flannel pajamas.  

“I feel really guilty about the bed,” Carol said, “Are you sure you don’t want to -,” she indicated the bed with her hand, trailing off.  

His heart damn near stopped at the stirring of want that coursed through his body.  Over the years he had felt sexual attraction for a few women and had even shared a bed with a some of them, but never had the attraction manifested itself this hard or fast.  It was a raw desire he had never felt before.

He gripped the edge of the sofa to keep himself steady.  “Nah,” he crooked and cleared his throat. “Couch is just fine.  Damn thing is fancier than my own bed.”

She smiled at that and he had to swallow back the groan that threatened to escape.

“Good night Daryl,” she quietly uttered, crawling into the bed.

He nodded his head, mumbling out his own ‘ _night_ ,’ before quickly shoving himself under his own blanket before he did something reckless.  This was going to be a long week.


End file.
